Folding bed.



PATENTED APR. 24

FOLDING BED.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE27,1904.

CALDWELL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

William L. Caldwell amounts r, William L. Caldwell.

l qmmwoeo WILLIAM L. CALDWELL, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

FOLDING BED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 24, 1906.

Application filed June 27, 1904. Serial No. 214,277.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. CALDWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Beds, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a folding-bed structure which may be made to closely imitate a sectional bookcase, the construction being such that the bed structure may be combined with actual bookcase-sections and also such that the imitation books may be readily changed, so that my bed structure of standard construction may be made to seem to contain books of any desired character.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved structure combined with an actual bookcasesection. Fig. 2 is a side elevation; Fig. 3, a vertical section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a central vertical section with the bed structure extended; Fig. 5, a partial plan of the parts shown in Fig. 4 and Fi 6, a horizontal section, on an enlarged sca e, on line 6 6 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, 10 10 indicate sides of the containing-casing, which are marked or otherwise paneled at 11 to closely imitate the ends of bookcase-section. The sides 10 are connected by a suitable back 12. The front 13 is divided by paneling or other marking 14 into imitations of the usual doors or closures of bookcase-sections, and each panel is provided with a glass 15, which is attached to the folding structure 16 of any desired construction, but is held a short distance in front of the structure by spacing blocks or strips 17, which thus form pockets 18, one opposite each glass 15. The imitation books 19 are formed in any desired manner by imitating the books upon a board or strip 20, adapted to fit in any one of the pockets 18 and held forward therein by any suitable means, such as spring-fingers 21. By this means any desired imitation of books may be inserted in the pockets 18, and it will not be necessary for a dealer to carry a large stock of complete beds, but merely a stock of book-panels 20, from which the customer may easily select. The folding structure 16 is preferably of c the mantel-bed type, in order that the casmg upper end 10 12 may be comparatively low. The of this casing 10 12 is provided with portions 23, adapted to mate with cor responding portions 23 of a standard bookcase-section 24 or the similar portion of a removable and standard top 25, the arrange ment being such that any desired number of actual bookcase-sections 24 may be stacked on top of the bed structure.

With a folding-bed structure of the kind described it would be improper to provide the usual drop-leg for the upper or outer end of the first section, for the reason that it would destroy the illusion. For that reason I have provided the single collapsible sliding leg illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. This leg consists of a main portion 26, mounted in suitable ways 27 on the inside of the first section of the folding structure 16. Hinged to the outer end of the main body 26 is the leg member 28, which is adapted to be thrown at right angles to the main body 26, and thus form a supporting-leg for the portion 16, being held in such position by a suitable catch 29. The outer hinged section 16 of the folding-bed structure is provided with any suitable and usual legs 16", and when the structure is to be folded the outer section 16 is doubled over in the usual and well-known manner, whereupon the leg 26 28 can be straightened out and slid back to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5, so that the front of the bed portion will not carry anyvisible mechanism to destroy the illusion of a bookcase.

In a structure such as described there should be no possibility of the upright casing being pulled over upon the occupant of the bed, yet it is desirable that a guard be provided to fill the necessary ga and for that purpose I hinge to the inner ec ge of the structure 16 a board 30, the free end of which is adapted to slide against the backing 12. Instead of guiding this board 30 by means of runways formed in the structure-10 12 I attach to the board 30 one end of a spring 31, the opposite end being attached to the structure 16, and thus serving to hold the free end of the board 30 in contact with back 12 in all positions of adjustment of the folding structure 16.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, in a folding-bed structure, of a suitable containing-casing carrying at its upper end means for mating with the lower end of a bookcase-section, a swinging bed member mounted in said casing, glass panels carried by the exposed face of said swinging bed member, a pocket formed behind each of said glass panels, and an imitationbook board adapted to fit in said pocket, and

carrying upon one face imitations of the backs- 5 of books.

2. The combination, in a folding-bed structure, of a suitable containing-casing, a swinging bed member mounted therein, glass panels carried by the exposed face of said bed 10 member, an open-ended pocket formed behind each of said glass panels, and a fillingboard adapted to enter said pocket and extend across the glass panels.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this I 25th day of June, A. D. 1904.

WILLIAM L. CALDWELL.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR M. H001), JAMES A. WALSH. 

